Ananda Lewis, the beloved former MTV VJ and talk show host, has passed away at the age of 52. The news was confirmed by her sister, Lakshmi, who wrote in a heartfelt Facebook post: “She’s free, and in His heavenly arms. Lord, rest her soul.”
Lewis rose to fame in the late '90s as one of MTV’s most recognizable faces. From 1997 to 2001, she served as a VJ and host, earning widespread acclaim for her charisma and cultural insight. The New York Times once hailed her as “the hip-hop generation’s reigning It Girl.”
After her influential run on MTV, Lewis left the network to launch The Ananda Lewis Show, a daytime talk show that tackled socially conscious topics such as domestic violence and breast cancer. Though the show only ran for one season, Lewis continued to work in television, later becoming a correspondent for The Insider from 2004 to 2005. In 2019, she made a return to TV to host the revival of While You Were Out on TLC.
In 2020, Lewis publicly revealed she had been diagnosed with stage III breast cancer. She shared that she had chosen to forgo a double mastectomy, against her doctors’ recommendations, in favor of a holistic approach. However, in 2024, she disclosed that her cancer had progressed to stage IV after the tumor metastasized.
In a candid conversation with longtime friend and CNN anchor Stephanie Elam, as well as fellow anchor Sara Sidner, Lewis openly reflected on her choices.
"My plan at first was to get out excessive toxins in my body. I felt like my body is intelligent — I know that to be true. Our bodies are brilliantly made,” she said. “I decided to keep my tumor and try to work it out of my body a different way. . . . I wish I could go back. It’s important for me to admit where I went wrong with this.”
Just months before her passing, Lewis penned a powerful essay for Essence in January 2025, where she expressed peace with her mortality and her decision to live life on her own terms.
"We’re not meant to stay here forever. We come to this life, have experiences — and then we go," she wrote. "Being real about that with yourself changes how you choose to live. I don’t want to spend one more minute than I have to suffering unnecessarily. That, for me, is not the quality of life I’m interested in. When it’s time for me to go, I want to be able to look back on my life and say, ‘I did that exactly how I wanted to.’”
Ananda Lewis is remembered not only for her groundbreaking role on MTV but also for her courage, candor, and unwavering authenticity throughout her life and battle with cancer.
Source: People
